In the 1970s I found my political will, affiliation and belief; socialism, as expressed by Karl Marx and the Labour Party.

During the 1980s and 90s I saw that will and affiliation demonised, not just by the enemy, mainly the Tories, but by my own party as the Labour Party failed to effectively argue their- and my- case and slowly morph, finally emerging with the Blairites into Tory Lite.

Throughout the 1970s and 80s, while I understood the cause, the general population were being convinced by Thatcherite sound bites and false promises.

I maintain that in 1997 the electorate had had enough of the Tories, and Tony Blair did not need to destroy the foundations upon which the Labour Party had been built; the electorate were ready for change so much so that I often quip that…